Glycine AS 1130. Time flies

[skridlov]

I have the above and it has already caused me many headaches. Right now it's running but racing away at about + 2 hours pd. In my albeit limited experience this is usually a hairspring issue, although the gain is very much less than this in most that I've seen, more like 5 -20 minutes even with the reg fully retarded. The Fried book suggests that this may be a mainspring issue, one of the relatively few repairs that I feel competent to do on something that owes me money.

Opinions welcomed (within reason!)

Roy

[frenchie]

Is it magnetized?

[Marc]

Assuming that no one has tried using inappropriate parts in the movement before it came to you then the hair spring is by far the most likely candidate. One or two coils sticking together either by magnetism or oil will easily take the rate way beyond the range of the regulator. 

[transporter]

here is  my check list for........

WATCH GAINING TIME

Watch not properly cleaned and oiled

oil on hairspring

watch is magnetized

hairspring coils rubbing or sticking together

hairspring rubbing on balance arms

hairspring bent out of true

more than one coil of the hairspring between regulator pins

hairspring pressing against one of the regulator pins

regulator pins bent to close and gripping hairspring

regulator pushed all the way to fast

balance timing screws loose or missing

balance arms bent in.

 

Not an exhaustive list but I methodically go through each bit until I find something, and if I cant then I pop and see my local smith for his takings on the problem.

Is your Glycine an old WW2 German army issue one? I have one of those and for the last 5 years have been trying to source a dial for it as mine is missing, I missed out on 2 on eBay both NOS, I contacted the seller who said he would contact his man in Switzerland to see if he had any more, but I never heard back from him, so mine sits in the draw awaiting a new dial.

I might possibly try a transfer dial onto an old generic dial and see how that looks until I can find an original dial.

[skridlov]

Thanks folks.

Well the hairspring looks to be in reasonable shape. I don't have it in front of me right now. Certainly it's better than some that I have which run far more reliably. It's not significantly magnetised (first thing I checked). I doused the hairspring in lighter fuel and blew it dry - a quick and dirty fix which has often been successful in the short term. Running fast has usually maxed out at 15 minutes a day and more often less  than that - I've got lots of sick watches so it's probably a decent sample.

I bought this one for resale with a graunched stem screw (replaced) and a consequently disfigured barrel bridge - I have a replacement but don't think it's worth using it. Cleaning the setting gear and stem enabled me to wind and set the watch as properly (which I thought would be all that it needed.)

These only seem to fetch a maximum of £200 as "fully serviced", and then from, er, questionable locations. Looks like a money loser. I'm good at that! Although I recently massaged and sold a "junk" Minerva with an AS movement running well for about £275.

Mine's got a very good dial and a heavily worn case - which actually looks quite nice. I understand (from the Ranfft site) that this movement only acquired shockproofing well after the war which makes mine a replacement - it's pretty clean as a consequence of the dust cap though.  

In my limited experience I'f found that trashed detent screws usually herald bigger problems.

What's the likelihood that Mr. Fried's suggestion of a "set" mainspring may be correct? I can deal with that.

Roy